September 2010 Archives

PASADENA -- A former girls' softball coach at Pasadena High School has been cited on suspicion of child annoyance after accusations emerged that he had engaged in inappropriate conversations with one of his players, authorities said Thursday.
Police issued Arthur Baltazar, 47, of Altadena a misdemeanor citation Sept. 23 on suspicion of engaging in "inappropriate communication of a sexual nature," with a 17-year-old girl he coached, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The alleged inappropriate communication took place both verbally and via text messages during September, the lieutenant said.
"There's no allegation of any kind of physical touching," she said.
The softball player told her parents she was receiving inappropriate communications from Baltazar on Sept. 23, Ibarra said. The parents notified the school, which then called the police.
Baltazar was cited the same day and released from custody later in the afternoon after posting $500 bail, according to sheriff's booking records.
Baltazar was employed as a "walk-on" softball coach at the school during the 2010 season, from March 11 to June 20, Pasadena Unified School District spokeswoman Binti Harvey said. He is not a teacher.
His employment ended along with the softball season, and he would not have been re-hired next year because he failed a background check, Harvey said.
She declined to further comment.
"It's a police matter," she said.
Baltazar could not be reached for comment Thursday.
According to Los Angeles County Superior Court records, Baltazar was convicted of driving with a suspended license in Glendale Superior Court in July of 2000, and unlawful display of evidence of vehicle registration in Alhambra Superior Court in January 2000.
The alleged misconduct took place after the softball season.
The new case against Baltazar is in the early stages of investigation and had not yet been presented Thursday to the City Attorney's Office, which will review the results of the police investigation and determine whether criminal charges are warranted, Ibarra said.

PICO RIVERA -- A motorcyclist died at the scene of a crash Wednesday, authorities said.
The crash was reported just before 1 p.m. on Serapis Avenue near Bermudez Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Eric Barron said.
The motorcyclist, initially described as a 26-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Rick Alleman said.
The motorcycle struck two parked cars, Barron said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

 

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- A search for a missing camper Sunday ended with the discovery of the young man's body beneath the Bridge to Nowhere in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa, authorities said.
The name of the man was not released pending positive identification and notification of family members, coroner's officials said. He appeared to be in his mid-20s.
Sheriff's officials received a call from campers about 5 a.m. reporting a fellow camper had left the campsite to use the restroom and had not returned, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Melinda Berry.
Sheriff's Search and Rescue officials searched the area with the help of a helicopter and discovered the body of the missing camper about 6 p.m. beneath the Bridge to Nowhere, not far from the East Fork Ranger Station, officials said.
The man appeared to have fallen from the bridge, authorities added.
The officials cause of death will be determined by coroner's medical examiners, however the death was initially reported to investigators as a recreational accident, sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
Officials continued working to remove the body from the canyon late Sunday.

PASADENA -- Officials jailed a local man Sunday after police said he intentionally struck a woman with his SUV on Colorado Boulevard.
Neil Colleran, 38, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
The alleged attack took place about 1:45 p.m. in the 3000 block of East Colorado Boulevard, between San Gabriel Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, Lt. Chris Russ said.
"The incident stemmed from an argument that occurred (Saturday) in the same general area," Russ said. Further details about the previous argument were not available.
After striking the woman, estimated to be in her 30s, with his BMW SUV, Russ said Colleran allegedly continued driving east on Colorado Boulevard.
Police learned a possible license plate number for the SUV and arrested Colleran at his home in Pasadena later Sunday, police said.
The SUV was found parked in the parking lot of a nearby church, Russ said.
The woman was hospitalized with a cut to her head that police described as moderate.
Sunday's arrest was the second time in two days Colleran has found himself behind bars in the Pasadena Police Department's jail.
He was arrested by Pasadena officers Saturday evening due to an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, but was released about an hour and a half later, according to police and sheriff's booking records. It was not clear Sunday what the warrant had been issued for.
According to sheriff's booking records, Colleran was being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Information regarding his initial court appearance was not available Sunday.

From staff and wire reports:

A missing schoolteacher from South Gate apparently committed suicide in the Angeles National Forest, it was reported Sunday.
Rigoberto Ruelas, 39, a teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, was last seen last Sunday dropping off a present for his sister's birthday, according to the South Gate Police Department.
Ruelas notified the school he would need a substitute teacher assigned for his classes on Monday and Tuesday, but he did not show up to work on Wednesday and had not called in, police said. His family reported him missing that day.
Ruelas' body was found just before 9 a.m. in the forest, said Deputy Jeff Gordon of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
"(Sheriff's deputies) had been conducting training exercises near the Big Tujunga Canyon area of the Angeles National Forest," he said. "On Big Tujunga Canyon Road near mile marker 6.6, they located a vehicle connected to Rigoberto Ruelas, who had been reported missing. A subsequent search in the ravine approximately 100 feet below a nearby bridge lead to the discovery of Rigoberto Ruelas, who was deceased."
Suicide was suspected, authorities reportedly said.
Family members told a TV station that he scored low on a teacher rating report recently published by the Los Angeles Times, and that may have caused Ruelas to go missing.
The newspaper's database lists Ruelas as being "less effective than average overall," "Less effective than average in math," and "average in English."
The Times' analysis of teacher performance took into account available student scores on standardized tests between 2002 and 2009.
"The value-added scores reflect a teacher's effectiveness at raising standardized test scores and, as such, capture only one aspect of a teacher's work," reads a disclaimer on the online database of teachers.
"Although value-added measures do not capture everything that goes into making a good teacher or school, The Times decided to make the ratings available because they bear on the performance of public employees who provide an important service, and in the belief that parents and the public have a right to the information," according to the website.
The study looked at about 6,000 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers at 470 Los Angeles elementary schools.
Family members reportedly said Ruelas had been a teacher for 14 years, with near perfect attendance.

AZUSA -- Police shot a wanted parolee with a Taser and arrested her Friday after she threatened to kill herself with a knife, authorities said.
Desiree Portillo, 35, of Azusa was booked on suspicion of violating parole stemming from a previous firearms-related crime, Azusa police Sgt. Mike Gurbada said in a written statement.
Police went to a house in the 700 block of South Vincent Avenue about 11 a.m. in search of the parolee-at-large, the sergeant said.
When police confronted Portillo at her home, they found her "armed with a knife, which she held against her throat, threatening to kill herself," Gurbada said.
After Portillo refused several orders to drop the knife, he said, police shocked her with a Taser, which immediately incapacitated her.
Portillo dropped the knife and was taken into custody.
The woman was treated at the scene for minor injuries, arrested for her outstanding warrant and turned her over to parole officials, Gurbada said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Portillo was being held without bail and was due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court.

ALHAMBRA -- A bank heist in Alhambra Thursday is believed to be the latest crime of a serial robber the FBI calls, the "Golden Years Bandit," authorities said Friday.
The robbery was reported about 12:20 p.m. at a Chase branch, 808 Main Street, police and FBI officials said.
It was at least the third robbery believed linked to the bandit, described by witnesses as being in his 50s, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a written statement.
In Thursday's robbery, "He went to first available teller and passed a note with his demands," Alhambra police Lt. Dan Rodriguez said.
After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber left.
A grey SUV was seen leaving the area around the time of the crime, Rodriguez said, though it was not clear Friday whether the SUV was involved in the robbery.
"In the robberies, the Golden Years bandit passed a type-written note which demands large bills and threatened that if the victim teller did not comply with his demands, they would be hurt," Eimiller said.
"The note also suggested that the bandit was working with partner located outside the bank, who would shoot anyone who tried to follow him out of the bank," she added.
A second robber has not been seen during the crimes, officials said.
The "Golden Years Bandit" is believed to have robbed a Bank of America branch in Rosemead on March 17, and a Bank of America branch in Alhambra on Jan. 23, Eimiller said.
Bank surveillance photos taken from robberies show a similar-looking suspect robbing an East West Bank in San Gabriel on June 26 and a Citizens Business Bank in La Cañada Flintridge on June 11, however it was not clear late Friday if those heists were also officially linked to the serial bandit.
The "Golden Years Bandit" is described as a white man, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, of large build, with grey hair and a mustache, according to the FBI.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 310-477-6565 or local police.

PHOTO courtesy of the FBI

By Brian Day and Jessica Donnelly:

Sheriff's deputies Friday found a car belonging to a man suspected of stabbing and wounding his estranged wife as their young children looked on, but the suspect himself remains at large, authorities said.
Cesar Meza, 33, is accused of breaking into the home of his 31-year-old estranged wife on Thursday and stabbing her at least seven times in the torso and neck in front of their children, 11 and 9, sheriff's officials said.
Investigators began a manhunt for Meza after the stabbing, and found his Lexus sedan being driven by another man Friday afternoon, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John McBride said. There was no sign of Meza.
"We have a few leads that we're still working on," McBride said.
After a photograph of Meza was released to the public, the lieutenant added, "We're hoping that someone comes forward, or he turns himself in."
Deputies spotted Meza's Lexus shortly after noon driving in Industry, officials said.
Deputies followed the car into El Monte before stopping it at Garvey Avenue and Peck Road, sheriff's Lt. Victor Sotelo said.
The man driving the vehicle was not the suspect and was not arrested, investigators said.
"We don't think he had any knowledge of the suspect," McBride said. It was possible the man was tricked into moving the vehicle without knowing it was connected to a crime.
Meza, who had been estranged from his wife for about eight months, broke into the home at 3:05 a.m. Thursday, waited for her and stabbed her seven times, sheriff's Sgt. Gerard Valona said.
The woman's children witnessed the stabbing and called the sheriff's Industry Station to report their father was beating their mother, authorities said.
The children's call likely saved their mother's life, Valona said.
By the time deputies arrived, the man had fled, officials said.
The woman was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and underwent several surgeries, officials said. She remained hospitalized in "critical-but-stable" condition Friday.
"It looks like she's going to pull through," McBride said.
The sheriff's Industry Station continued pouring resources into the investigation going into the weekend.
"I have every detective in the field working this case," Valona said.
Anyone who sees Meza should not approach him and immediately call 9-1-1 or the sheriff's Industry Station at 626-330-3322.

PHOTO of Cesar Meza courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

By Jessica Donnelly and Brian Day:

WEST VALINDA - Two children called 9-1-1 for help while their father stabbed their mother seven times Thursday morning, authorities said.
Cesar Meza, 33, of West Covina is suspected in the attack and remained at large late Thursday, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John McBride.
"He's on the lam," he said.
Meza is believed to be driving a 1999 black four-door 1999 Lexus with chrome rims and a California license plate number 6LOW853, McBride said.
The 31-year-old woman was stabbed repeatedly in her upper torso and neck at a house in the 1400 block of Rama Drive, investigators said.
The husband, who was estranged from his wife, broke into the home at 3:05 a.m. and stabbed her with a pocket knife, sheriff's Sgt. Gerard Valona said.
The woman's children, 11 and 9, witnessed the stabbing and called the sheriff's Industry Station during the incident.
The children's call likely saved their mother's life, Valona said.
By the time deputies arrived, the man had fled, officials said.
The woman was suffering from multiple stab wounds and was in critical condition, authorities said.
She was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and immediately underwent surgery. She later underwent a second surgery and was in stable condition, Valona said.
"I have every detective in the field working this case," he said.
The couple had been separated for eight months before the stabbing, Valona said.
Anyone who sees Meza should not approach him and call 9-1-1 or the sheriff's Industry Station.
Staff Writer Brian Day contributed to this story.

GLENDORA -- A Glendora man was expected to recover Thursday after police said he was stabbed in the back while trying to stop his roommate from attacking his girlfriend.
Jose Bojorquez, 20, of Glendora was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Glendora police Sgt. Matt Egan said.
Officers responded to a report of a stabbing about 6:30 p.m. at a house in the 1100 block of E. Juanita Avenue, the sergeant said.
"(Bojorquez) actually physically battered the female," Sgt. Scott Strong said. The woman was identified as Bojorquez's 19-year-old girlfriend.
"(The 22-year-old victim) intervened in that and then got stabbed," Strong said.
The wounded man was flown to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment, Egan said.
The wounded man was listed in stable condition Thursday with a cut to his back, Strong said.
"He's going to be fine," the he said.
Bojorquez was found in the garage of the home, where he was living, and arrested without further incident, Egan said.
Bojorquez was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was due for arraignment Friday in West Covina Superior Court, officials said.

WEST COVINA -- West Covina police arrested a suspected car thief following a pursuit Wednesday.
The suspect's name was not available late Wednesday as he was taken to a hospital to be examined before being booked, West Covina police Lt. David Rozeboom said.
The incident began as a hit-and-run crash about 6:30 p.m. at Azusa and Cameron avenues, the lieutenant said.
The suspect allegedly fled the scene after the non-injury crash, with a good Samaritan following behind, Rozeboom said.
With the help of the witness and a helicopter, police were able to get behind the suspect, who was driving a car that had been reported stolen, as he continued southbound on Azusa Avenue, police said.
When police tried to pull the car over just north of the 60 Freeway, Rozeboom said, it accelerated onto the westbound highway. The chase reached speeds approaching 100 mph.
The car exited at Rosemead Boulevard near the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area and quickly crashed into a van, the lieutenant said. The suspect continued fleeing on foot but was captured in the area.
The two crashes the suspect was involved in resulted in no injuries to the involved drivers, police added.
Rozeboom said police expected to book the suspect on suspicion of auto theft, evading police and hit-and-run.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- More than three years after a man was fatally slashed with a sword and his two children smothered to death, the trial for a woman suspected in the slayings is expected to begin next week.
Manling Tsang Williams, 30, is charged with the Aug. 8, 2007, murders of her husband Neal Williams, 27, and their two sons Ian, 3, and Devon, 7, at the home they shared in the 18200 block of Camino Bello.
After appearing briefly in Pomona Superior Court Wednesday, Manling Williams was ordered to return Monday for trial, court officials said.
The jury selection process is scheduled to begin Tuesday, officials added.
Manling Williams faces the possibility of the death sentence if convicted due to the special allegations of multiple murder and lying in wait, Los Angeles County District Attorney's officials said.
Neal Williams was slashed 97 times with a sword and the children with smothered with pillows in their beds, investigators said.
After initially denying the killings, investigators said Manling Williams ultimately confessed to them.
Little has been revealed in regard to the motive in the case, other than an argument between Neal and Manling Williams the night before the bodies were discovered.

From staff and wire reports:

EL MONTE -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to consider the case of an El Monte man convicted of stabbing a female cab driver in November 2008.
The state's highest court rejected a defense petition seeking review of the case against Carlos Ramirez, 27.
Ramirez was convicted of attempted murder and carjacking for the Nov. 14, 2008, attack on the then-28-year-old driver, who was stabbed in the neck with a utility knife before her cab was taken.
The stolen taxi was recovered shortly after the driver reported the crime to police, officials said. Ramirez and another men also stole about $10 from the woman.
Co-defendant David Siguenza, 20, of El Monte who worked with Ramirez at a La Puente car wash and was with him at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to carjacking. He testified against Ramirez at the trial.

SAN DIMAS -- An Irwindale man died early Wednesday after crashing his Harley-Davidson motorcycle into a big rig on the 10 Freeway, authorities said.
Fred Fraijo, 49, died at the scene of the crash, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
The crash took place about 5:10 a.m. on the eastbound 10 Freeway, just east of via Verde Avenue.
Fraijo was riding a 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King eastbound at an unknown speed when veered over to the right shoulder and struck the rear of a parked big rig.
The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
A 37-year-old man from Carpinteria was inside the parked truck when it was struck but was not injured, authorities added.
Firefighters extinguished a small fire which ignited as a result of the crash, according to the CHP statement.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

COVINA -- A man was hospitalized for mental evaluation Sunday after he crashed his car through a residential garage, police said.
The driver of the car, a 33-year-old Covina man, was not arrested Sunday but was hospitalized for psychological evaluation due to erratic behavior following the crash, Covina police Lt. Tim Doonan said.
The crash occurred about 3:51 p.m. at the corner of Nearglen Avenue and Wingate Street, the lieutenant said.
The driver was making a turn from westbound Wingate Street to southbound Nearglen Avenue at high speed when he went wide and launched his 1985 Toyota Camry from a handicapped access ramp along the sidewalk, Doonan said.
"The car went airborne, over the front yard, and took out a portion of a cinder block wall," he said. "It also demolished a shed behind the block wall."
"While still airborne, it made complete penetration through the garage wall and into the garage," Doonan said.
No one was home at the house, and the Camry's driver was not hurt, he added. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
Following the crash, Doonan said, the driver was uncooperative with police and made statements causing officers to question his mental state. He was taken to an area hospital for mental evaluation.

From City News Service:

BELL GARDENS -- A man was behind bars Sunday on $1 million bail in connection with the fatal shooting of a Pico Rivera man and a Bell Gardens man at a backyard party in Bell Gardens, according to the sheriff's department.
Noe Ramirez, 20, of Los Angeles was arrested around 2 a.m. and booked on suspicion of murder, said Capt. Mike Parker of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
His is accused of killing Ricardo Rojas, 21, of Bell Gardens, and Sebastian Avila, 26, of Pico Rivera, said coroner's Investigator Jerry McKibben.
The shooting occurred during a fight about 2 a.m. Saturday at a backyard party for about 20 people in the 6900 block of Adamson Avenue, Parker said.
A 27-year-old woman who was related to Rojas was wounded in the shooting, and an 18-year-old man from Lynwood was badly beaten and was in critical condition, Parker said.

WEST COVINA -- A man was shot and wounded under mysterious circumstances late Saturday, possibly as the result of getting into the crossfire of a gunbattle between others, police said.
The incident was reported about 7:30 p.m. at a commercial strip in the 200 block of West Pacific Avenue, just west of Orange Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley said.
A car carrying three people arrived in a parking lot, and one of the occupants -- a man in his late 20s -- exited the vehicle to urinate, Henley said.
As he approached a trash dumpster, he heard shots ring out and was struck in the ankle, the lieutenant said.
The wounded man was taken to an area hospital with wound that was not believed to be life-threatening, he added.
The victim was not believed to be tied to gangs, Henley said.
No one reported witnessing the shooting, police said, however it initially appeared that the wounded man may have been an innocent bystander who got caught in a crossfire.
"It seems as if he got caught in between two other people who might have started to shoot each other," Henley said. Bullet casings found at the scene indicated two guns may have been involved in the shooting.
No description of the shooters was available, though a dark vehicle was spotted leaving the area at the time of the shooting.

AZUSA -- Police jailed a man and woman in Azusa Friday in connection with a string of burglaries and recovered more than $5,000 worth of suspected stolen property, authorities said.
Raymundo Nares, 36, of Azusa, and Jennifer Jennings, 21, of Covina were booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property, Azusa police Lt. Sam Fleming said. Nares was also booked for an outstanding warrant for petty theft with a prior conviction, and Jennings was also booked on suspicion of possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
A police officer stopped a car being driven by Jennings about 10:30 a.m in the 17600 block of Renwick Street, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said in a written statement.
Two male passengers fled from the car and were not found, he said.
Nares and Jennings were detained in the car, where police found some methamphetamine and a pipe, police said.
Allegedly stolen property including jewelry, sports memorabilia, computer equipment and financial documents were also found in the car, Madaloni said. The items were linked to a residential burglary that occurred about two weeks prior in the 2500 block of Cameron Avenue in an unincorporated county area near Covina.
A search of Jennings' Azusa storage locker revealed even more suspected stolen goods, police said, including model train equipment, a stamp collection and a collection of antique dolls.
Officials are now working to find the rightful owners of the allegedly stolen stuff, Madaloni said.
Anyone who's had similar property stolen in the area recently is asked to contact Detective Brandon Saenz at 626-812-3227.

LA PUENTE -- Deputies are seeking a man who used a handgun to rob another man late Friday, officials said.
The crime took place about 10:50 p.m. in the 600 block of Dora Guzman Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said in a written statement.
The victim, a 43-year-old man, was approached by a robber who demanded money, the lieutenant said.
At first the victim refused, but he complied when the robber pulled a handgun, he said.
The gunman was described as a Latino man in between 20 and 25 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 150 pounds with a mole on his nose, Katz said. He was last seen riding east on Inyo Street on a bicycle.

WHITTIER -- A 91-year-old Whittier man died Friday after he was struck by a car in unincorporated West Whittier, authorities said.
The man's name was not released Friday pending notification of his family members, officials said.
The accident occurred about 7:20 p.m. in the 11100 block of Slauson Avenue, just east of Pioneer Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
The elderly pedestrian was believed to have been jaywalking when he was struck by a 1981 Mercedes-Benz sedan being driven by a 19-year-old Whittier woman.
After walking on the center island, Smith said, "He stepped in front of eastbound traffic."
The young woman driving the Mercedes-Benz was unable to stop in time and struck the man, he said. She was not speeding.
"She didn't do anything wrong," Smith said.
The woman was "very distraught" over the incident but uninjured, he said.

PICO RIVERA -- A young man died Friday after he was struck by a freight train in the second train-related fatality in Pico Rivera in two days, authorities said.
Ivan Marquez, 18, of Pico Rivera died at the scene, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Investigator Kerry McKibben said.
The accident occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on the Union Pacific railroad tracks just north of Whittier Boulevard and just east of Rosemead Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
"He was described by the engineer as sleeping in the fetal position," the lieutenant said. The engineer saw the man lying on the tracks but was unable to stop the train in time.
No injuries were reported on the eastbound train, which was headed from Los Angeles to Colton, Smith said.
Service on the train tracks was disrupted for several hours during the investigation, he added.
Another man also died on Pico Rivera train tracks about 9:20 a.m. Thursday.
Ricardo Fierro, 73, of Pico Rivera was fatally struck by a Metrolink train near Durfee Avenue and Stephens Street, sheriff's officials said. It was believed he pushed his bicycle around the lowered warning arms as the train was approaching.

LA MIRADA -- A man died early Saturday after being shot with a Taser and handcuffed by sheriff's deputies, authorities said.
Sheriff's officials initially described the dead man only as a 48-year-old parolee. His name was not released pending notification of family members.
Deputies were patrolling near the Extended Stay America motel, 14775 Firestone Blvd., about 1 a.m. when they encountered two men, Capt. Michael Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau said in a written statement.
"During their contact, one of the males assaulted the deputies before he fled on foot through the parking lot," Parker said.
"The suspect hid between two cars before re-emerging to attack the deputies," Parker said.
The deputies fought with the suspect, reached for one of their guns and threatened to kill them, Parker said.
Deputies shocked the man with a Taser and handcuffed him, officials said.
"Within moments, the suspect became non-responsive," Parker said.
Paramedics performed CPR on the man and took him to La Palma Intercommunity Hospital in La Palma, where he died a short time later, sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
Deputies discovered the dead man had been in possession of drugs including what appeared to be methamphetamine and heroin, Parker said.
The man's cause of death will be determined by coroner's medical examiners.
He had criminal record that included convictions for vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, evading police and possession of narcotics for sales, officials said.
Whenever sheriff's deputies use force resulting in death, "multiple independent investigations immediately begin at the scene," Deputy Guillermina Saldana said.
Agencies that will look into the incident include the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, the Sheriff's Internal Affairs Bureau and the Office of Independent Review, she said.

COVINA -- Firefighters and a good Samaritan rescued a man from a burning century-old home in Covina, officials said.
The fire was first reported about 7:10 a.m. at a two-story home at 350 West Rowland Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. David Martinez said.
Firefighters arrived to find an upstairs bedroom of the home "well involved" with flames, the captain said.
Three men had already gotten out of the burning home themselves when firefighters arrived, Martinez said, but a good Samaritan was trying to help evacuate a man estimated to be in his 60s who was asleep upstairs an unaware of the fire.
Firefighters and the good Samaritan got the man out of the home unharmed, officials said. The anonymous rescuer left the scene without giving his name.
The blaze ultimately caused about $30,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents, the captain said.
The fire appeared to have been sparked in the attic by an electrical problem in the home's still-original wiring, he added.
The blaze was isolated to three bedrooms on the second floor, Martinez said, though the entire second floor was heavily damaged by smoke.
The residents of the home were going to find their own lodgings while repairs are made, he said, and the Red Cross was not needed.

MONTEBELLO -- Sheriff's SWAT officials and Montebello police surrounded a Montebello condominium Friday where a burglary suspect was believed to be holed up, but ultimately found the place empty, police said.
The incident was reported about 8:20 a.m. in the 1600 block of Neil Armstrong Street, Montebello police Lt. Andy Vuncanon said in a written statement.
Officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress and believed the burglar may still have been inside the home when they arrived, the lieutenant said.
Police officers learned from the resident that there were guns stored inside the home, he said, so they called for assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Enforcement Bureau -- the sheriff's version of a SWAT team.
Authorities carried out a search of the home, but the burglar was not found inside, Vuncanon said.
"It's presumed the suspect (or suspects) fled out of a back window while officers were setting up the containment (perimeter)," Vuncanon said.
No guns or other items were found missing from the condominium, Vuncanon said, though it appeared a burglar had forced entry into the home through a sliding glass door.

This comes from reporter Jessica Donnelly:

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - Two women and a man were arrested Thursday night after an off-duty deputy witnessed the trio rob a woman of her purse, authorities said.
Rachel Rodriguez, 20, Melissa Diaz, 28, and Raymundo Sandoval, 19, were arrested on suspicion of strong-armed robbery, Lt. Victor Sotelo with the Industry sheriff's station said.
A woman was in a parking lot with a cart full of groceries in the 2100 block of Hacienda Boulevard at 8:39 p.m. when Rodriguez approached her, Sotelo said.
Rodriguez pushed the cart into the victim and grabbed her purse, Sotelo said.
Rodriguez fled to a nearby vehicle driven by Diaz, Sotelo said.
Sandoval was a passenger inside the vehicle, deputies said.
An off-duty deputy from Pico Rivera sheriff's station witnessed the robbery and began to follow the vehicle, Sotelo said.
The deputy contacted the Industry sheriff's station and notified them of the incident and helped deputies locate the suspects, Sotelo said.
Deputies pulled the vehicle over on the westbound 60 Freeway at Azusa, Sotelo said.
The stolen property was recovered inside the car, and the woman identified the suspects as the three who took her purse, he said.

From City News Service:

MONTEREY PARK -- Under a new state law, parents and guardians of Los Angeles Unified students convicted of gang-related crimes will have to attend parenting classes and meet with families who have been victimized by gang violence, the bill's author said Friday.
The Parental Accountability Act -- Assembly Bill 1291 -- was authored by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Norwalk.
"The time has come to hold parents accountable and give them the resources they need to help their children," Mendoza said.
"It's clear parents and guardians have serious challenges addressing the disciplinary needs of their children," Mendoza said. "Parents will be mandated to acknowledge the consequences of their children's potential involvement with gangs, before it's too late."
Mendoza introduced bill in 2007, and the law went into effect in January.
Under the law, parents or guardians of juveniles who have been involved in gang-related crimes must attend anti-gang parenting classes with specialized curricula that include face-to-face meetings with victims' families, resources and ideas on extracurricular activities, and information on identifying criminal tendencies in their children, Mendoza said.
Mendoza discussed the law at a news conference this morning at the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court. Among those in attendance were Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and actor Edward James Olmos.

MONTEREY PARK -- Sheriff's officials Friday detailed the remarkable story of survival of a woman who was kidnapped, attacked and left for dead last week as they asked for the public's help in linking additional crimes to the suspect.
DeQiang Song, 24, is accused of kidnapping the woman -- a 21-year-old San Gabriel Valley resident -- Sept. 8 after taking her on a shopping trip to the Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall in Arcadia.
From there, investigators said, he drove her to a remote area of desert in San Bernardino County where he strangled her, slit her throat and left her for dead.
Believing the woman was dead, Song allegedly used the woman's cell phone to call her father and demand ransom money. But she regained consciousness once her attacker left.
"She managed to walk approximately half a mile through the desert to a house," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Major Crimes Bureau Lead Detective Michael Soop said. Residents of the home then called for help.
"She's alive because she had the determination and will to live," Soop said.
Deputies arrested Song and seized his car in the early morning hours of Sept. 9 as he tried to pick up ransom money at a prearranged spot in San Gabriel, authorities said.
Detectives had been working with the victim's father to lure the suspect through the promise of a ransom payment, but declined to release additional details about the arrest.
Song initially demanded $100,000 for the woman's safe return, Soop said. "We finally negotiated a ransom for $10,000." The negotiations were carried out in Mandarin.
The complexity involved in the crime has led investigators to suspect this was not Song's first crime.
"The planning, sophistication and elaborate nature of this crime may indicate that this is not the only crime in which he's been involved," Soop said.
Authorities released photos of Song and his vehicle, a 2009 Toyota Venza with Illinois license plate number H897160, to the public Friday in hopes of tracking down anyone who may have information about this crime or any other crimes connected to Song.
Sheriff Lee Baca said the "senseless, horrifying and brutal crime" began, "as a casual date," and that her previous encounters with Song had appeared innocent.
"The victim had no forewarning as to what would occur," Baca said.
Soop said the woman and Song met about a week prior at a karaoke club in the San Gabriel Valley, and he introduced himself to her with the alias of Xia-Yu. They had again met at karaoke clubs twice, and had gone to the beach together the day before the kidnapping.
Detectives believe Song was planning the crime before he met with the woman on Sept. 9.
He detoured their outing by making up a fake errand in the Apple Valley area, Soop said. The attack took place in a remote area of desert off the 15 Freeway between Apple Valley and Victorville.
"Already within the suspect's vehicle were the instruments he ultimately used to commit the kidnapping and attempted murder of the victim," he said. The tools included latex gloves, a cord to strangle the woman with, bindings, a knife, and extra license plates for his vehicle.
Detectives discovered clothing and blood at the scene of the attack in the desert on Sept. 10.
Song is believed to be the only suspect involved in the kidnapping and attempted murder, Soop added.
Song immigrated to Chicago from the Shen-Yang Province of China under a student visa in 2008, officials said.
He moved to an apartment in Monterey Park in late July, Soop said, where he has been staying since.
San Bernardino Superior Court records indicate Song has an existing burglary case pending against him in that county.
His history both in Chicago and in China remained under investigation.
According to sheriff's booking records, Song was being held in lieu of $2,050,000 bail at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles. He was due for arraignment Sept. 29 in Alhambra Superior Court.

*PHOTOS of Deqiang Song and his car come courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

WHITTIER -- About 125 firefighters got the upper hand on a *5*-acre brush fire burning in WhittierM Thursday, authorities said.
The fire was first reported about 5 p.m. on the east side of Colima Road, just north of Mar Vista Street, Los Angeles County Fire and Whittier police officials said. Fire officials erroneously reported Thursday that the fire had grown to 45 acres.
No structures were immediately threatened by the blaze, though officials were concerned about the fire's proximity to some buildings in places like Skyline Drive and Aurora Crest Drive, officials said.
"It appears that they are getting the upper hand on it," Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
The fire had been completely contained as of 8 p.m., fire officials said.
Stowers added that the area where the fire was burning exhibited, "some pretty steep terrain and some pretty thick brush." Winds in the area blew at 6 to 8 mph.
Four helicopters, one large helitanker and two fixed-wing airplanes were brought in to drop water on the fire from above Thursday afternoon, Stowers said.
Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said no evacuations were needed due to the fire, though the blaze did wreak havoc on the afternoon commute.
"It hit when everyone was driving home, unfortunately," he said.
Officials closed down northbound Colima Road at Whittier Boulevard in Whittier and southbound Colima Road at Casino Drive in Hacienda Heights during the fire.
The exact point of ignition wasn't clear, Stowers said. The blaze may have had as many as three points of origin.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.

LA CRESCENTA -- A man who robbed a La Crescenta bank branch last week is believed to be the same one who robbed the same bank in 2007, officials said Thursday.
The "Green Tattoo Bandit," who earned his nickname because of a green tattoo on his neck, robbed a Bank of America branch, 3141 Foothill Boulevard, on Sept. 9, sheriff's officials said.
He entered the bank about 1 p.m. and handed a teller a threatening note, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Blume said shortly after the incident.
He was last seen leaving the area in a small, white, older-model sedan, officials added.
Authorities said Thursday that the "Green Tattoo Bandit" is also believed to have robbed the same bank on Nov. 28 of 2007.
The bandit is described as a Latino man in his 30s with a mustache and goatee, in addition to his green neck tattoo.

PASADENA -- Police jailed to suspected burglars Thursday accused of breaking into two cars in the Rose Bowl parking lot, officials said.
Jamias Buchanan, 25, of Tarzana and Dnali Rutherford, 30, of Los Angeles, were booked on suspicion of burglary, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
A witness called police about 11:15 a.m. to report seeing two men breaking into two cars in the Rose Bowl parking lot, the lieutenant said.
"Luckily, we had some officers in the area," he said.
The suspects were spotted driving in the area and were arrested after police found them in possession of a small amount of cash believed to have been stolen from the cars at the Rose Bowl, Torres said.
Buchanan and Rutherford were being held in lieu of $20,00 bail each, according to sheriff's booking records.

ALTADENA -- A man allegedly severely beat his sister in Altadena and then slashed his own neck before being arrested Thursday in Pasadena, authorities said.
Rodney Poole, 52, if Altadena was being treated for self-inflicted wounds to his neck at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and was expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Greg Sisneros said.
The attack occurred about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of West Crosby Street, sheriff's officials said.
"The suspect attacked his sister with his hands, fists and shod feet," Sisneros said. She suffered numerous cuts and broken bones.
The sister, described only as an Altadena woman, was hospitalized Thursday in stable condition, he added.
Poole called his brother about 11 a.m. Thursday, Sisneros said.
"He was despondent and wanted to end his life over what he had done to his sister," the lieutenant said.
Sheriff's deputies found the man sitting in a parked car at Arroyo Boulevard and Windsor Avenue in Pasadena, he said, with self-inflicted stab wounds to both sides of his neck.
He was hospitalized in unknown condition.

AZUSA - A woman died and her passenger was hospitalized early Thursday after a solo-car crash on the 210 Freeway in Azusa, authorities said.
Lidia Kopach, 24, of Monrovia died at the scene of the 2 a.m. crash on the eastbound 210 Freeway, just west of Azusa Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Frausto said in a written statement.
Her passenger, a 24-year-old Glendora man, was hospitalized with minor injuries, officials said. The relationship between Kopach and the man was not clear.
"(Kopach) was travelling eastbound on the 210 Freeway between the number two and number three lanes at a high rate of speed, just west of Azusa avenue, when for unknown reasons, she lost control of her vehicle," Frausto said.
The 2000 Volvo sedan veered to the right shoulder before Kopach over-corrected and flipped the car, the officer said.
The Volvo made a complete rotation and ended up back on its wheels before slamming into a steel guard rail, he said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation by the Baldwin Park office of the CHP.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A 41-year-old La Puente man died early Thursday in a four-car freeway crash in South El Monte, authorities said.
Miguel Angel Martinez died at the scene of the crash on the eastbound 60 Freeway at the 605 Freeway, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
"(Martinez) was driving (a 200 Honda) at a high rate of speed, losing control of (the Honda) for unknown reasons," California Highway Patrol Officer H.J. Arroyo said in a written statement.
Martinez's Honda "began to roll over multiple times, coming to a rest on its wheels," Arroyo said.
A 2008 Lexus being driven by a 46-year-old Walnut man, a 2000 Toyota being driven by a 29-year-old Rowland Heights man and a 2005 Dodge being driven by a 27-year-old Corona woman all struck the wrecked Honda, the officer said.
All three drivers suffered minor injuries, and two of them were hospitalized for treatment, he added.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the East Los Angeles office of the CHP.

A man and woman allegedly led Monrovia police on a lengthy pursuit through the foothill cities of the San Gabriel Valley and tried to ram officials late Wednesday and early Thursday before being arrested in Arcadia, authorities said.
Guadalupe Camacho, 18, of Monrovia and Jonathan Cabrera, 18, a transient frequenting the Monrovia area, were booked on suspicion of a host of charges early Wednesday, Monrovia police Lt. Zeke Cerecerez said.
Among the charges are violations of Monrovia's gang injunction, officials said. Both are believed to be members of the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio street gang.
The incident began about 11:20 p.m. Wednesday when someone reported people in a Jeep causing a disturbance in the area of Myrtle Avenue and Montana Street in Monrovia, Cerecerez said.
About half an hour later, officers spotted a similar vehicle in the area, police said.
"The Jeep didn't stop," Cerecerez said. "It took off at high rate of speed onto the 210 freeway."
Officers gave chase and noticed the Jeep matched the description of one wanted in connection with felony vandalism incidents in Monrovia and Duarte, he said.
Camacho allegedly drove recklessly during the chase, which went through Pasadena and Sierra Madre before coming to and end with a crash in Arcadia.
The suspects allegedly thew objects from the vehicle during the pursuit, Cerecerez said.
The chase ended in the 300 block of West Magna Vista Avenue in Arcadia, Arcadia police officials said.
Camacho allegedly tried to run over a Monrovia police officer who was on foot, but missed, before ramming an undercover police car, Cerecerez said. She and Cabrera were than taken into custody.
Camacho was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism, participating in a criminal street gang, evading a peace officer, conspiracy, hit-and-run, driving under the influence and five counts of violating Monrovia's gang injunction, officials said.
Cabrera was booked on suspicion of assault on a peace officer, participating in a criminal street gang, resisting or obstructing a peace officer, conspiracy, being under influence of controlled substance and five counts of disobeying Monrovia's gang injunction.
According to sheriff's booking records, Camacho was being held in lieu of $205,000 bail and Cabrera was being held in lieu of $80,000 bail. Both were due for arraignment Monday in Pasadena Superior Court.

LA MIRADA -- Authorities Thursday linked a heist at a La Mirada bank this week to a serial robber the FBI has dubbed, "The Bubble Wrap Bandit."
In addition to the most recent robbery attributed to the heavy-set, sunglass-sporting bandit Tuesday afternoon at a Bank of the West branch, 12709 Valley View Ave., the suspect has been linked to at least three other bank heists in Bell Gardens and South Gate, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"In one of the robberies (in Bell Gardens), the envelope that was given to the teller with a demand note had bubble wrap on the inside -- hence the moniker," Sgt. Diane Hecht of the Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau said.
In Tuesday's robbery, "He presented a note demanding money and said he had a gun," according to the sheriff's statement. "He left the bank with an unspecified amount of U.S. currency, and was last seen driving away in a red sedan."
The other robberies occurred at a Bank of the West Branch in South Gate on July 22, a Bank of the West branch in Bell Gardens on June 15 and a Citibank branch in Bell Gardens on Nov. 25 of last year, officials said.
"The Bubble Wrap Bandit," generally displays a demand note to a teller while threatening to have a gun, authorities said.
In the South Gate robbery, he was seen getting into a newer model, dark-colored, 4-door sedan -- possibly a BMW -- with a waiting driver, South Gate police Lt. Darren Arakawa said. The note in that case was given to a teller written in a business card.
Sheriff's and FBI officials described the bandit as a Latino or Samoan man of about 35 or 40 years old. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds. He has worn sunglasses during all of his robberies and has a mustache and goatee.
During the La Mirada robbery and the June 15 crime in Bell Gardens, surveillance images show the bandit appears to have worn the same gray polo shirt with a rhinoceros logo over the heart.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the FBI or 9-1-1.
Tuesday's bank heist in La Mirada came on the heels of the arrest of another suspected serial bank robber accused of holding up three La Mirada banks since May.
Steven Gary Platis, 44, of Whittier, who the FBI calls "The Balding Bandit," due to his receding hairline, was arrested Monday in Hesperia on suspicion of robberies at the Chase bank branch, 15128 Rosecrans Ave., on May 14 and July 23, as well as a Sept. 7 robbery at Banco Popular, 12333 La Mirada Blvd.
Platis pleaded not guilty to the robberies Wednesday in Downey Superior Court, court officials said. He's due back Sept. 22 for a preliminary hearing.

*SURVEILLANCE image of "The Bubble Wrap Bandit" comes courtesy of the FBI.

SOUTH PASADENA -- Police and fire officials are hosting an open house, safety fair and car show Sunday.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Pasadena Police Department, 1422 Mission Street, South Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.
The open house will include safety tips, demonstrations of police dogs and other equipment and tactics, several helicopter landings and takeoffs, free child fingerprinting, games, station tours and more, organizers said.
It will also include a hot rod and classic car show, as well as a display of famous vehicles such as the "Batmobile" from the 1960's television series, Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari, "Starsky and Hutch's" Grand Torino, the DeLorean from "Back to the Future" and others.
Helicopters will land at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m., officials said.
Police K-9s will perform a demonstration at 11 a.m. Another police demonstration will take place at 12:30 p.m., and a fire department demonstration will be held at 1 p.m.
For more information, visit www.ci.south-pasadena.ca.us, or call (626) 403-7285.

AZUSA -- Police arrested an Azusa man Tuesday who falsely claimed to have recently had a son die in order to solicit donations from strangers, police said.
Raymond Johnston, 54, was booked on suspicion of soliciting for a false charitable cause and released with a citation, Azusa police Sgt. Jerry Arnold said in a written statement.
An officer spotted Johnston just after 8 a.m. on Citrus Avenue near the 210 Freeway, the sergeant said.
Johnston held a sign that read, "My son just died. Please help me raise money for his funeral," Arnold said.
When police asked Johnston about the sign, he first told them his 11-year-old son had died a week before from a heart condition, police said.
"After further questioning, Johnston's story changed and he eventually admitted he didn't have an 11-year-old son and he'd made the story up to get money donations from strangers," Arnold said.
Johnson also admitted using the same sign a week prior in the City of Industry, he added, where he received about $30 in donations.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- A state appeals court panel Wednesday reversed a man's first-degree murder conviction in the February 2007 shooting death of a doorman during a run-in near a Whittier sports bar.
The three-justice panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled there was "no evidence supporting or suggesting any motive for the first-degree murder" of Reyes Garcia by Jose Javier Nunez.
"The record lacks substantial evidence of factors that demonstrate premeditation and deliberation," Associate Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney wrote on behalf of the panel. "... There is substantial evidence in the record supporting an imperfect self-defense theory of voluntary manslaughter."
The Feb. 9, 2007, confrontation occurred when Garcia and four other doormen who worked at Oceans Sports Bar approached a truck in which Nunez and a group of his friends were drinking beer. They had been denied admission to the bar because they didn't meet the business' dress code, according to the 22-page ruling.
Nunez testified that he wanted to scare the doormen away after a physical altercation between Garcia and
one of Nunez's friends in the nearby parking lot, and that he did not have control of the gun when he picked it up and fired it four times with his left hand despite being right-handed.
"The trial court should have allowed the jury to decide whether Nunez was faced with imminent great bodily injury and, if so, whether Nunez's use of deadly force was reasonable under the circumstances," Chaney wrote, with Presiding Justice Robert M. Mallano and Associate Justice Frances Rothschild concurring in the ruling.

WHITTIER -- In two apparently unrelated incidents, an abandoned bag at a clothing store and a a bomb threat at a bank prompted a police response Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Both incidents were reported about 3:15 p.m., Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.
Employees of Burlington Coat Factory at the Quad, 13550 Whittier Blvd., called police to report suspicious bags left by transients, the lieutenant said.
Store workers had allowed local transients to store their bags there for several days, but began to get suspicious when the transients returned to the store Wednesday but left without their bags, Dean said.
A manager looked inside and saw a box, which he thought was suspicious, and called police, Dean said. The box was ultimately found to contain makeup.
The Burlington Coat Factory and neighboring Staples were briefly evacuated during the incident, he added.
About the same time, a woman called Whittier police to and reported that her boyfriend was walking to U.S. Bank, 13525 Whittier Blvd., with a bomb, the lieutenant said.
Officers checked the bank and found nothing abnormal.

AZUSA -- Azusa police are planning a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Saturday, authorities said.
The checkpoint will be held at an undisclosed time and place within the city, Cpl. Dean Brewer said in a written statement.
"The primary purpose of the checkpoint will be to detect and arrest intoxicated drivers, but license violations will also be enforced," he said.

NORWALK -- A man accused of shooting and badly wounding a sheriff's deputy near Whittier appeared in court Wednesday, officials said.
Emigdio Preciado Jr., 41, was in Norwalk Superior Court for pre-trial hearing, court officials said. He's due back in court Nov. 15 for another hearing.
Preciado allegedly opened fire with an AK-47 assault rifle on two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies during a Sept. 5, 2000, traffic stop on Gun Avenue in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
Deputy Michael Schaap was shot in the forehead, paralyzed and had to re-learn to walk and talk during his recovery.
The second deputy who was attacked, Deputy David Timberlake, wasn't injured by the fully automatic gunfire.
Preciado, a U.S. Citizen, allegedly fled to Mexico following the shooting where he was captured by Mexican officials in July of last year. He was returned to the United States in January.
Three other suspects in the case have already been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the attack.

NORWALK -- Three men accused of kidnapping a woman, cutting her throat and leaving her for dead in Turnbull Canyon in Whittier appeared in court Wednesday.
Miguel Ayala, 27, Vincent Mendoza, 21, and Edward Meraz, 24, all of El Monte, were in Norwalk Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing, court officials said. They are due back for another pre-trial hearing on Oct. 13.
The three are suspected of abducting then 20-year-old Christina Martinez of Bellflower on the pretense of a trip to the beach on Aug. 4, 2009.
After tying her up and beating her, investigators said, the suspect's slit her throat and dumped her down Turnbull Canyon Road. The badly injured Martinez was able to climb a steep hillside to seek help in the 6000 block of Altmark Avenue.
A motive in the attack has not been released.
The three suspects are each charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon, officials said, along with the special allegation that they personally inflicted great bodily injury on Martinez.
Ayala, Mendoza and Meraz are being held in lieu of $3.25 million bail, $2.15 million bail and $2.13 million bail, respectively, according to sheriff's booking records.

VALINDA -- A young man continued clinging to life Wednesday after a shotgun attack in Valinda left him hospitalized in grave condition and wounded four other people, authorities said.
The shooting took place just before 3 a.m. at a residential garage in the 17100 block of Sam Gerry Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
One man, a San Gabriel Valley resident in his early 20s, was placed on life-support and was listed as "death imminent" at a hospital, Lt. Mike Rosson of Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
Two men in their 20s and a 17-year-old boy also suffered serious injuries in the shooting, he said. Another man in his 20s suffered a grazing wound and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
The shooting victims were gathered in an open residential garage when a suspect or suspects opened fire with a shotgun, sheriff's officials said.
A suspect description was not available, though authorities said the incident may have been gang-related.

ALHAMBRA -- A Chicago man appeared in court briefly this week in connection with the alleged brutal kidnapping for ransom and attempted murder of a 21-year-old woman.
DeQiang Song, 24, was charged Monday with in Alhambra Superior Court in connection with the Sept. 8 incident, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said in a written statement.
Song "strangled the victim and sliced her throat with a knife and left her for dead," Gibbons said.
Officials described the woman only as a San Gabriel Valley resident.
The woman, who had met Song about a week before at a social club, asked Song to take her to a San Gabriel Valley mall, sheriff's and district attorney's officials said.
After the shopping trip, Song allegedly drove the woman to a secluded portion of desert between Apple Valley and Victorville, Lt. Kent Wegener of the Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau said.
After tying the woman up, Song then called the woman's father in Cerritos and demanded ransom for her return, according to sheriff's and district attorney's officials.
During the conversation , authorities said, Song strangled the woman, slashed her throat and left her alone in the desert, officials said.
A nearby resident came upon the critically injured woman later on Sept. 8 and she was hospitalized, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. Despite life-threatening injuries, she was expected to survive.
Whether or not a sexual assault also took place was under investigation, Wegener said.
Investigators arrested Song about 1:10 a.m. Sept. 9 as he allegedly tried to pick up the ransom money at a prearranged spot in San Gabriel, officials said.
"Investigators used the father to negotiate the ransom payment and lured the kidnapper out to that area, where arrest was made," Wegener said.
Deputies jailed Song after he picked up a package that he believed contained the ransom money, he added.
The investigation remained in it's preliminary stages Wednesday, Wegener said, however detective initially believed Song acted alone in the crime.
"At this point, we believe that this is the only suspect," he said.
Little was known about Song, Wegener said, who is believed to have moved to Southern California from Chicago to attend school.
"A lot his history is still under investigation, including his activity in Chicago," he added.
Song was charged with one count of kidnapping for ransom and one count of attempted murder Monday, however he did not enter a plea, Gibbons said. He is due back in Alhambra Superior Court Sept. 29.
If convicted as charged, Song could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus one year, Gibbons added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Song was being held in lieu of $2,050,000 bail.

LA PUENTE -- A man was wounded Sunday in a drive-by shooting in a residential neighborhood, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 7:40 p.m. in the 15500 block of Mulvane Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Rico Sandoval said.
The man was shot in the arm by a group of 4-5 male suspects as they passed by in a black SUV, the sergeant said.
A motive in the shooting remained under investigation, he said, and deputies continued searching for suspects late Sunday.

ARCADIA -- An armed man robbed a Burger King restaurant late Saturday, police said.
The crime took place shortly after 8 p.m. at the restaurant at 82 Las Tunas Drive, Arcadia police Lt. Roy Nakamura said.
The robber displayed a semi-automatic handgun as he demanded money from the register, the lieutenant said.
He fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, he added.
Police described the robber as a Latino man between 40 and 45 years old with a mustache and goatee. He wore a blue baseball cap with red lettering, a blued jersey-style shirt with red stripes, gray shorts, tennis shoes and prescription glasses.

WHITTIER -- Police arrested one man and sought three others in connection with a home-invasion robbery in Whittier Sunday, authorities said.
Matthew Giron, 32, of Pico Rivera was booked on suspicion of residential robbery, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said. Three other robbers remained at large.
The crime was reported about 11 a.m. at a home in the 12600 block of Cullen Street, near Santa Fe Springs Road, officials said.
"Four suspects forced their way into a residence," Webster said. "They punched and kicked a tenant and took an Xbox (video game console)."
A small amount of cash was also stolen, he added. The 31-year-old man who was beaten was treated by paramedics and declined hospitalization, Webster said.
Two other men in their 20s were also inside the home during the robbery but were not injured, police said.
Police discovered a Dodge pickup truck used as a getaway car abandoned a short distance from the scene, Webster said.
The victim recognized one of his attackers, the lieutenant said, who was later identified as Giron. Officers arrested him after about noon in the area of Orange Drive and Citrus Avenue.
The other three suspects, whom police described only as a Latino man with a shaved head, another Latino man and a black man, remained at large Sunday afternoon.

WHITTIER -- A teenage brother and sister were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday in a residential neighborhood in Whittier, authorities said.
The robbery took place about 12:15 a.m. in the 12700 block of Lambert Road, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
A 15-year-old boy and his 18-year-old sister were walking home from a party when a blue Chevy Astro van pulled up next to them and a woman inside asked for directions, the lieutenant said.
A woman inside the van asked for directions before a man got out of the vehicle armed with a handgun, Webster said.
"A male exited the van with a handgun," he said. "He threatened the victims and asked for money and property."
The siblings handed over property including a small amount of cash, a cell phone and a video game, Webster said.
Police described the robbers as a Latino man and two Latino women, all in their 20s.

This comes from Staff Writer Melissa Evans at one of our sister papers, the Daily Breeze:

LOS ANGELES -- Soldiers who leave for combat duty as law-abiding citizens sometimes don't return the same people -- a fact officials in the legal system have begun to recognize.
Mirroring efforts across the country, Los Angeles County will launch a pilot program Monday establishing a special court for veterans who have committed nonviolent felonies as a result of the emotional toll of their military service.
"These men and women come back from long deployments with personal and emotional experiences that are unique," said John Lonergan, a Torrance deputy district attorney and colonel in the Army reserves who has advised the project. "We want to make sure they get appropriate treatment."
The veterans court will start with a maximum of 50 cases at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. All military personnel will be eligible, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental conditions.
Many of the cases are expected to be a result of drug and alcohol abuse; veterans often self-medicate to numb the pain of their war experiences, avoiding the perceived embarrassment of asking for professional help, officials say.
'This is long overdue," said Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan, who will preside over the veterans court. "Everybody's concentrating on soldiers right now returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, but I'm not sure that these guys are getting the kind of care they ought to get."
Tynan currently oversees the county's drug court, also a specialty unit intended for those whose crimes are primarily a result of addiction. Both courts aim to secure treatment instead of incarceration for those who commit crimes.
Depending on the nature of their crimes, veterans could be referred to treatment within the Veterans Affairs system, which operates outpatient and clinical care facilities in Long Beach, Lancaster and West Los Angeles. Veterans will be supervised for a set period of time; if they violate conditions of the court, the severity of penalties will increase.
These types of courts, however, have proven to be extremely successful in other parts of the country. The first court of this kind was launched in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2008, and so far none of the veterans who have finished the program committed new crimes, officials said.
In Buffalo, veterans are paired with mentors and must adhere to strict requirements, such as structured treatment and regular court appearances. The experiment has been so successful that roughly two dozen other court districts in the United States have set up similar programs, including Orange County.
Federal legislators are also looking to pass legislation that would provide funding for treatment and court costs.
It is widely known that exposure to combat can have devastating effects on military personnel. The VA estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, a situation caused largely by mental illness and substance abuse.
The veterans group estimates that 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans returned from combat with stress disorders, and anywhere from 11 to 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans display the same symptoms.
The Veterans Center in Gardena, a resource hub established in the 1970s to help Vietnam vets, has received more visits from younger combat soldiers returning from the current wars, said Jason Young, team leader at the center and a former sergeant in the Air Force.
"When a person feels vulnerable, when they are exposed to death and dying, when a person's safety has been violated, it's very traumatic to that person emotionally," said Young, who spent a year in combat during the Vietnam War.
In 1996, Young spearheaded the creation of a free yearlong class for veterans convicted of domestic violence, offering soldiers a similar alternative to prison or jail. The class offers a space for veterans to talk about their war experiences with their peers.
"It's based on a simple idea -- veterans, unlike the general population, were taught directly to be violent," Young said. "If my country is going to teach me how to be violent, then give me a break if I develop some symptoms as a result of that."
Neither Young nor Lonergan believes veterans should be given a free pass -- but they do believe their cases should be given special attention.
Lonergan noted that this new court is one of the rare examples of agreement between the District Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office and law enforcement officials.
"These men and women are pulled away from their families for a year or more," Lonergan said. "They are under constant stress, under the microscope, and they come back and face broken marriages and other difficulties. ... People are finally recognizing the need to treat these individuals. We don't want to relive these issues from Vietnam."

VALINDA -- Four men were wounded and one of them was listed as "death imminent" at a hospital following an early morning shooting in a residential neighborhood in the unincorporated county area of Valinda, authorities said.
Sheriff's investigators released little information about the shooting, which took place about 2:50 a.m. in the 17100 block of Sam Gerry Drive, near the intersection of Azusa Avenue and Amar Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Ed Hummel said in a written statement.
"The victims were transported to a local hospital, where one of the men is listed as death imminent," Hummel said.
All four shooting victims were initially described only as Latino men in their 20s, Sgt. Ken Perry of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
The other three wounded men were listed in "critical but stable" condition at an area hospital, the sergeant added.
Perry declined to discuss the circumstances of the shooting, which took place in a front yard, or what took place prior to the shooting.
He said the motive remained under investigation.
A suspect description was also unavailable, Perry said, and authorities were looking into whether the shooting involved a sole gunman or multiple attackers.
No further information was released.
Several neighbors said they did not hear the gunshots and were shocked by the violence on the generally tranquil street.
According to sheriff's statistics, Sunday's attack was the sixth fatal shooting reported in the unincorporated county areas patrolled by the sheriff's Industry Station this year, which include Valinda, West Valinda, Bassett, and Hacienda Heights.
This time last year, the same area had also seen six criminal homicides, compared with four in 2005.
David Sua, 37, of Valinda was fatally shot during an argument by 34-year-old Jorge Zavala of West Covina only a block away from Sunday's shooting scene at Sam Gerry and Rimgrove drives, authorities said.
After killing Sua, who was on his way to dinner with his wife and one of his teenage daughters, Zavala then turned the gun on himself, investigators and family members said.
Eight homicides have been reported this year throughout the sheriff's Industry Station's entire patrol area, which includes the cities of Industry, La Puente and La Habra Heights in addition to the the unincorporated county areas, statistics show. The station handled nine homicides last year, as well as in 2005.

PICO RIVERA -- Officials jailed a man Saturday after he allegedly broke into three businesses along Whittier Boulevard in Pico Rivera, then fell through the ceiling into the arms of deputies who were searching for him.
Jose Parada, 23, of Montebello was booked on suspicion of burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. John Adams said.
Deputies ultimately arrested the man after he came crashing through the ceiling of one of the burglarized businesses as deputies searched for him, he said.
"(Parada) was actually hiding in the attic of the building," Adams said. "As (he) was moving around in the attic there, he actually fell through the ceiling."
A police dog grabbed a hold of the suspect's clothing, but did not bite him, before deputies took him into custody, officials said.
Deputies responded to a burglar alarm about 7 a.m. at William's Boots, 9233 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Debbie Gallego said.
An arriving deputy spotted someone inside nearby De La Cruz Jewelry through a window, and authorities set up a perimeter and called in a K-9 for a search, the sergeant said.
It was discovered that in addition to the boot store and the jeweler, nearby Sanford's Antiques had also been broken into, Adams said.
Sheriff's SWAT deputies, who were not summoned but happened to be available to assist, were also present, she added.
Deputies searched the building without luck at first, then went back in for a second look, Adams said.
Officials heard a noise in the attic and ordered whoever was inside to come out to no avail, he said.
Deputies sprayed pepper spray into the attic shortly before the man fell through the ceiling, Adams added.
Parada was arrested about 10 a.m. About $2,000 worth of necklaces believed to have been taken from the jewelry store was still missing Saturday afternoon, and officials suspected it had been stashed somewhere inside one of the businesses.
According to sheriff's booking records, Parada was being held in lieu of $20,500 bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Whittier Superior Court.

*BOOKING photo of Jose Parada courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

LA CRESCENTA -- A robber used a threatening note to rob a Bank of America branch Thursday, officials said.
The crime was reported about 1 p.m. at the Bank of America branch at 3141 W. Foothill Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Blume said.
The robber was described as a Latino man in his 30s, officials said. A surveillance photo released by the FBI shows the robber had a mustache and goatee and wore a white hat and striped, long-sleeved shirt.
He entered the bank and handed a threatening note to a teller demanding cash, Blume said.
After receiving an undisclosed amount of money, the robber was last seen leaving the area in a small, white, older-model sedan, the lieutenant added.
Deputies searched the area but did not locate the robber, he said.
The FBI, which handles bank robberies, is assisting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with the investigation.

Surveillance camera image courtesy of the FBI.

From staff and wire reports

A woman kidnapped for ransom, raped and nearly beaten to death was expected to survive Friday as sheriff's officials continued their investigation, authorities said.
Deqiang Song, 24, of Chicago was arrested just after 1 a.m. Thursday in San Gabriel on suspicion of kidnapping, attempted murder, rape and extortion, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
The alleged victim, a woman in her 20s, was found in the Apple Valley area Wednesday with major injuries and taken to an Antelope Valley hospital for treatment, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
"The good news is, it looks like she's going to live," he said. "It was touch and go for a while."
Due to an ongoing investigation, few details were released Friday about the alleged crime and arrest.
"We're still playing a little bit close to the vest," he said.
The abduction is believed to have occurred in a rural area not far from the Los Angeles County-San Bernardino County border.
A person in Cerritos received a phone call Wednesday afternoon demanding money for the return of the victim, officials said.
Between about 11 p.m. Wednesday and 1 a.m. Thursday -- after the woman had been found -- a man working with undercover detectives left ransom money for the kidnapper under a truck in a parking lot outside the Hawaii Supermarket on East Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel, according to news reports.
According to sheriff's booking records, Song was being held without bail at the sheriff's Temple Station and was due for arraignment Monday in Alhambra Superior Court.
This incident is being investigated by the sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau.

NORWALK -- A Whittier woman apologized for her role in the shooting of a 60-year-old mother of a sheriff's deputy before being sentenced to 15 years in state prison Friday.
Amber Acosta, 24, received the sentence from Norwalk Superior Court Commissioner Michael Schuur as part of a plea deal for participating in the July 6, 2008 shooting in the 11700 block of Keith Drive in an unincorporated county area just west of Whittier. She was given 882 days credit for time served.
The victim, Anita Rodriguez, was wounded in the neck when Acosta and six others mistook her home for that of rival gang members, prosectors said.
"I would like to apologize for this incident and the pain it has caused Ms. Rodriguez," Acosta said before receiving her sentence. "I'm my own person, and I do take responsibility for my actions."
Rodriguez did not attend the sentencing, but four members of Acosta's family attended the hearing.
Acosta went on to ask for leniency from Schuur, saying she was not a gang member, had a 4-year-old son and 77-year-old grandmother to take care. The 5-foot, 1-inch bespectacled Acosta said she had a supportive family that would house her and help with her education once released from prison.
"I'm asking for compassion with my 15-year sentence," she said.
The 15-year figure was reached through a plea deal, and the judge denied Acosta's plea for a "single-digit sentence."
Schuur sentenced Acosta to five years for the charge of attempted murder, and 10 years for the special allegation that the crime was committed for the benefit of a street gang -- the Dead End Locos.
The commissioner did, however, grant Acosta's request to recommend that she be imprisoned in Corona so she can be near her elderly grandmother.
Acosta and four others were accused of being inside two vehicles that brought the shooters to the scene of the crime. Two other men have been convicted of personally firing upon the victim.
A car and an SUV pulled up near Rodriguez's house about 11 p.m. on July 6, 2008, investigators said.
Two men got out of the vehicles and opened fire on the house, grazing Rodriguez in the neck as she slept on a couch.
Authorities have said they do not believe the victim's son's employment as a sheriff's deputy had anything to do with the attack, but rather a group of gang members mistook her house as being affiliated with a rival gang.
Defendants Jacob Robles, 25; Bernard Castillo, 20; and Richard Jasso, 20, also pleaded guilty to attempted murder and have been sentenced, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
Robles and Jasso received nine years in prison, officials said, while Castillo, who testified against his co-defendants in the case, received a five-year sentence.
Shooters Rene Rascon, 23, and Ruben Amperano, 24, were convicted of being the triggermen in the attack. Amperano was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison and Amperano faces 20 years in prison at his sentencing on Nov. 5.
The only case yet to be decided is that of 20-year-old suspect Anthony Rodriguez, Robison said. He is due in Norwalk Superior Court Thursday for a pre-trial conference.

From City News Service:

SANTA ANA -- A man and woman were in custody Friday on suspicion of robbing and killing a man who won thousands of dollars at Hawaiian Gardens Casino, while an alleged accomplice was sought, police said.
Tad Allen Carroll, 41, address unknown, and Barbara Ann Hamel, 47, of Long Beach, are accused of following Chi Ngoc Bui last Friday morning after he won several thousand dollars at the casino, Bertagna said.
They were arrested Thursday afternoon and booked on suspicion of murder, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department. They were being held in the Santa Ana jail.
Police are looking for a third person investigators believe was looking for big winners at the casino as potential robbery targets, Bertagna said.
Bui and a female companion had driven from the casino to Santa Ana, where the woman lives, about 4:30
a.m. Sept. 3, when Hamel allegedly cut them off with a 2001 gold Pontiac Grand Am in the 100 block of
South Anders Place, Bertagna said.
Bui got out of his Honda Accord and tried to run, but Carroll allegedly fought with him and took some of his winnings, Bertagna said.
As the robbers fled, they drove over Bui, killing him, Bertagna said.
His friend was unhurt.
Investigators suspect the pair's accomplice told them about Bui's winnings and Carroll and Hamel followed him to Santa Ana, Bertagna said.
Carroll is a suspect another follow-home robbery in June in Los Angeles County that started at the same
casino," Bertagna said.
Investigators were led to the suspects by tips from the public and with help from casino workers, Bertagna said.
Hamel was arrested at her home in Long Beach and Carroll was arrested in front of a hotel in Anaheim. It wasn't clear if he was staying at the hotel, but investigators consider him a transient.
"They both have a long criminal history and they were all out on parole," Bertagna said.

A man was behind bars in Temple City Thursday on suspicion of kidnapping a woman for ransom and beating her, leaving her hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
The suspect was described only as a man in his 20s Thursday due to an ongoing investigation, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
Officials learned of the incident after a person in Cerritos received a ransom call, Whitmore said.
"(The person) received a call from the suspect demanding money for the return of the victim," he said.
As detectives looked into the report Wednesday, a woman in her 20s arrived at an Antelope Valley hospital where she was listed in critical condition with "severe injuries," Whitmore said.
It initially appeared she had been beaten, officials added.
"While the investigation is ongoing, the victim was either released or escaped," he said.
Hours later, officials said, deputies arrested the suspect and booked him at the sheriff's Temple Station.
"We don't know when and where the abduction actually took place," Whitmore said, and information about how the suspect was arrested was not released.
Whitmore declined to say whether a sexual assault is suspected.
The investigation was being handled by the sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau.
Sheriff's officials both at the Temple Station and the Major Crimes Bureau deferred all comments to Whitmore.
No further information was available.

IRWINDALE -- Arraignment was postponed Wednesday for a man suspected in the beating death his father, whose body was found inside an Irwindale storage locker.
Jonathan Pedraza, 24, is due back in Pomona Superior Court Sept. 25 to answer to a charge of murder, court officials said. He was already awaiting trial on an unrelated misdemeanor case and had just been released from jail three days prior to the killing.
Pedraza is accused of beating 62-year-old Miguel Pedraza to death with a dumbbell, Lt. Liam Gallagher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
A motive in the alleged killing remained unknown, the lieutenant said.
"We don't know what set him off or what occurred," he said, adding that the son has denied the killing to investigators.
Los Angeles County Commissioner Wade Olson set bail for Pedraza at $1 million, officials added. He was previously being held without bail.
Though Jonathan Pedraza was initially listed by sheriff's officials as a Hollywood man, authorities said Wednesday that the father and son were Glendora residents.
Miguel Pedraza's body was found just after 4 p.m. Friday inside a storage facility at A-1 Mini Storage, 4391 Irwindale Ave. in Irwindale, sheriff's investigators said.
Jonathan Pedraza, who had been spotted by witnesses allegedly smashing his way through a security gate to escape the storage facility shortly before the body was found, was arrested hiding on the roof of a Baldwin Park apartment building, Gallagher said.
"We found some evidence both in the car and on him that we think indicates (Jonathan Pedraza was) connected," Gallagher said.
When a company employee went to check the locker believed to have been accessed by Jonathan Pedraza, the door was found to be partially open and a foot was sticking out, the lieutenant said.
Detectives believe the killing took place at the storage facility immediately before Jonathan Pedraza was seen smashing through the gate, Gallagher said. A dumbbell that detectives believe to be the murder was found in the locker.
Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Investigator Christie McCrackin said Miguel Pedraza died of "blunt head trauma" and the case was ruled a homicide.
In addition to murder, Jonathan Pedraza is also accused of personally using a dumbbell to kill his father, felony vandalism and two counts of hit-and-run, officials said.
According to Los Angeles County court records, Jonathan Pedraza's only previous criminal conviction was for possession of drug paraphernalia in January of 2009.
Jonathan Pedraza has been released from jail just three days prior to the killing on Aug. 31, court officials said.
He had been arrested Aug. 14 in West Covina on suspicion of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer or emergency medical technician; destruction of evidence and possession of narcotics, West Covina police Lt. David Rozeboom said.
In that case, West Covina responded to a disturbance call in West Covina involving a person possibly under the influence of drugs, Rozeboom said.
"When they contacted him, he destroyed the (methamphetamine) that he had by pouring it into a liquid drink," the lieutenant said.
Prior to the killing, Jonathan Pedraza was scheduled for a jury trial Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court on charges of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer or EMT and destroying evidence, court officials said. The murder case forced a schedule change.

From the Associated Press:

The California Highway Patrol says vehicle thefts in the state are down for the fourth consecutive year.
The agency said Wednesday that vehicle thefts in California dropped 15 percent from 2008 to 2009. Of the vehicles reported stolen last year, more than 88 percent were recovered.
Southern California is a hot spot for vehicle theft. The agency says approximately 53 percent of all thefts in 2009 occurred in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. But San Diego County had the largest drop in thefts, down 30 percent in 2009 from the year before.
CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a statement that since 2005, the state has seen a 35 percent reduction in stolen vehicles.
The drop is attributed to a combination of education, technology and tougher enforcement.

 

Hector Urias, known around El Monte and at the Irwindale Speedway for his fast cars has been shot to death at his shop in El Monte, officials said Wednesday morning. The shooting occurred about 6:30 a.m. in the 3500 block of Santa Anita Avenue.Wikipedia: El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. »
El Monte Police Drag Car

LA PUENTE -- A woman was robbed at gunpoint Sunday in La Puente, officials said.
The crime occurred about 5:50 p.m. at Azusa Avenue and Valley Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Raymond Enriquez said.
A woman in her 30s was approached by the robber, whose description was not released, and robbed of her car keys and some cash, the lieutenant said. The victim was not hurt.
The robber was last seen fleeing the area on foot, he added.

Authorities arrested wanted parolee and a woman Saturday after they allegedly led El Monte police on a car chase that ended with a crash in West Covina.
Pablo Sanchez, 23, and Vanessa Poe, 19, were arrested in connection with the incident, El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva said. There cities of residency were not available.
Sanchez was booked on suspicion of auto theft, felony evading, violating parole, misdemeanor hit-and-run and resisting arrest, Alva said. Poe was booked on suspicion of auto theft.
An El Monte police officer spotted the couple in a car that had been reported stolen just after 7 p.m. at Garvey and Durfee avenues in El Monte, the lieutenant said.
Police followed the car onto the 10 Freeway, then initiated a pursuit when Sanchez refused to pull over, Alva said.
The chase reached Merced and Sunkist avenues in West Covina, officials said, when Sanchez jumped out of the still-moving car, which continued rolling and crashed into a residential garage.
Sanchez was found hiding in the area, and his passenger, Poe, was also taken into custody, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Sanchez was being held without bail and Poe was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail. Information regarding their initial court appearances was not available.

Authorities arrested wanted parolee and a woman Saturday after they allegedly led El Monte police on a car chase that ended with a crash in West Covina.
Pablo Sanchez, 23, and Vanessa Poe, 19, were arrested in connection with the incident, El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva said. There cities of residency were not available.
Sanchez was booked on suspicion of auto theft, felony evading, violating parole, misdemeanor hit-and-run and resisting arrest, Alva said. Poe was booked on suspicion of auto theft.
An El Monte police officer spotted the couple in a car that had been reported stolen just after 7 p.m. at Garvey and Durfee avenues in El Monte, the lieutenant said.
Police followed the car onto the 10 Freeway, then initiated a pursuit when Sanchez refused to pull over, Alva said.
The chase reached Merced and Sunkist avenues in West Covina, officials said, when Sanchez jumped out of the still-moving car, which continued rolling and crashed into a residential garage.
Sanchez was found hiding in the area, and his passenger, Poe, was also taken into custody, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Sanchez was being held without bail and Poe was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail. Information regarding their initial court appearances was not available.

From the Associated Press:

LANCASTER -- Seven people were shot at a late-night party in Lancaster, including a 14-year-old girl who later died, and homicide detectives are looking for suspects.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Lillian Peck says gunfire erupted at the house party just before 1 a.m. Sunday.
Seven victims were taken to a local hospital, where the teen girl was pronounced dead. She lived in the Lancaster area.
Peck says the victims include three females and four males, whose ages range between 13 and 26 years of age.
Their identities are being withheld pending notification of relatives and because of their ages.
Peck says investigators have no motive. They're searching for a suspect or suspects.

AZUSA -- Police are asking the public's help in tracking down three men who shot and wounded a security guard and a patron after opening fire in the parking lot of an Azusa night club early Sunday.
The shooting was reported about 1:45 a.m. at the D Club, 975 W. Foothill Boulevard, Azusa police Lt. Steve Hunt said in a written statement.
Prior to the shooting, one of the suspects began causing a disturbance inside the club and was asked to leave along with two other men, Hunt said.
Security guards escorted the men to their white sedan in the north parking lot of the club, police said, where the three suspects began to argue with another group of men.
"The three subjects were told to leave the property and they accelerated away rapidly for a short distance," Hunt said.
"The vehicle slowed and one of the occupants in the vehicle pointed a gun at the crowd and fired several shots."
A security guard was shot in the abdomen and another man, a club patron, was shot in the arm, police said. They were both hospitalized for treatment of their injuries and expected to recover.
No further information about the shooting was release due to the ongoing investigation, Lt. Mike Bertelsen said.
"(Detectives) are still actively working this case," he said.
Hunt said investigators are hoping help from the public, and a cell phone possibly left behind by one of the suspects, may help lead to their capture.
"One of the suspects involved may have lost his cellular phone in the night club prior to the shooting," he said. "It appears the phone has not been located. We are asking if anyone found a cellular phone in the D Club last night that they turn it in to the Azusa Police Department."
Witnesses or anyone with information is also asked to contact Azusa police.
D Club representatives could not be reached for comment Sunday. A voicemail system for the club was full and unable to accept new messages.
Sunday's shooting was not the first violence to occur outside the D Club in recent weeks.
Police jailed four men Aug. 27 after they allegedly punched a 19-year-old woman in the face and robbed her of her purse and cell phone as she walked on a sidewalk outside the club about 1:30 a.m.

WEST COVINA -- A contractor was pistol-whipped and robbed of his gold necklace Friday while working outside a West Covina home, authorities said.
The crime took place about 1:50 p.m. in the 1200 block of East Rowland Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
The victim, a 52-year-old Monterey Park man, was in the driveway of a home, standing near his work truck, when he was approached by three robbers, the lieutenant said.
"One of the suspects yelled in English to take his gold necklace off," Sevilla said. The victim, who did not speak English, did not understand.
The robbers tried to forcefully take the man's necklace but he resisted, Sevilla said.
As the robbers and victim struggled, one of the robbers pulled out a small handgun and struck the contractor in the head, opening a cut, police said.
As the robber struck the man with the gun, it went off, Sevilla said. No one was struck by the gunfire.
The robbers were last seen heading eastbound on Rowland Avenue on foot, he added.
The victim declined to be hospitalized, he said.
All three robbers were described as Latino men of medium build, 5 feet 5 inches to 6 feet tall, wearing black T-shirts and baggy blue jeans.

AZUSA -- Police and sheriff's officials investigated a "suspicious package" on Foothill Boulevard Saturday, but ultimately determined it was an ordinary storage case that had been abandoned in a parking lot, police said.
The incident was first reported about 4 p.m. at a parking lot in the 100 block of West Foothill Boulevard, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said.
Someone reported seeing a dark blue storage case that had been left in the parking lot, the sergeant said.
Police shut down Azusa Avenue between Foothill Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Bomb Squad was summoned to examine the case, he said.
The bomb squad determined the case contained nothing significant about 5:45 p.m., Madaloni said, and the road was re-opened about 6 p.m.
Though the package was ultimately determined to be harmless, Madaloni said police take such situations seriously.
"We err on the side of caution," he said.

IRWINDALE -- A man whose body was found inside an Irwindale storage locker is believed to have been beaten to death by his son, authorities said Saturday.
Jonathan Pedraza, 24, of Hollywood is suspected in the murder of his father, Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Ray Leyva said.
The body of Miguel L. Pedraza, 62, was found shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in a storage locker at A-1 Storage, 4391 Irwindale Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Brian Elias said. His city of residency was not clear.
The father initially appeared to have been beaten to death, though the coroner's officials will determine the officials cause of death through an autopsy, Lt. Liam Gallagher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"It looks like blunt-force trauma," he said.
The body was found after Irwindale police responded to a report of someone ramming through a security gate at the storage facility, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"(Jonathan Pedraza) could not exit the facility because he did not have the code to get out," according to the statement. "When storage personnel refused to open the gate, (the suspect) rammed the gate with his vehicle and drove away."
Witnesses took down the license plate number of the fleeing Toyota sedan, Gallagher said.
As Irwindale police investigated the alleged hit-and-run, Baldwin Park police detained Jonathan Pedraza after he was involved in a second hit-and-run incident in their city, officials said.
Jonathan Pedraza was driving in a parking lot in the 14500 block of Ramona Boulevard when he allegedly crashed into two other cars, causing no injuries, and drove off, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Ray Findley said.
Baldwin Park police officers found Jonathan Pedraza hiding on the roof of a 4-story apartment complex in the 14400 block of Pacific Avenue and arrested him, Findley added.
Police quickly realized the hit-and-runs in Irwindale and Baldwin Park involved the same car, sheriff's officials said.
"Further investigation connected the damaged vehicle to a specific storage unit, where officers found the dead body of (Miguel Pedraza)," the sheriff's statement said.
Miguel Pedraza was believed to have been killed earlier in the day Saturday, Gallagher said.
The son was hospitalized for treatment of injuries he suffered in the crash and arrested on suspicion of murder, sheriff's officials said.
No information regarding a motive has been released.
According to sheriff's booking records, Jonathan Pedraza was being held without bail at the Glendora Police Department jail and was due for arraignment Wednesday in West Covina Superior Court.

PHOTO of Jonathan Pedraza comes courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

IRWINDALE - A man was in custody Friday night after a body was discovered inside a locker at a self-storage facility in the city.
Law enforcement was informed of the situation by a report of a hit-and-run crash at A-1 Mini Storage, 4391 Irwindale Ave., just after 4 p.m. Friday, said Lt. Liam Gallagher of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau.
Investigators at the scene determined a man in a sedan used a code to enter the security gate of the storage facility, Gallagher said. A code is also required to get out, but the man did not have one.
He asked an employee to let him out, Gallagher said, but when the employee refused, the man crashed his sedan through the gates.
Witnesses at the scene wrote down the license plate of that vehicle, he said. The same car crashed in the city of Baldwin Park a short time later and a man in his mid-20s was detained, Gallagher said.
Investigators traced the entry code to its matching storage locker, which led them to discover the body, he said.
The age of the victim, cause of death and time the body was in the locker were not available.
Gallagher said the man, estimated to be in his 30s, appeared to have been beaten to death. The official cause of death will be determined by the coroner's office.
The driver of the sedan is a suspect in the homicide and was taken to a hospital, Gallagher said. His identity was not yet available.

Two men arrested by West Covina police on suspicion of an attempted car burglary in a Home Depot parking lot Wednesday have been linked to an Upland bank robbery from last month, officials said.
Darryl Matthews, 29, and Lorenzo Carrillo, 28, both of Los Angeles, were booked on suspicion of robbery, West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said in a written statement.
Police arrested Matthews, Carrillo and a third person who was ultimately released without charges after an attempted vehicle burglary was reported shortly before noon Wednesday in the parking lot of Home Depot, 2220 S. Azusa Avenue, according to police officials and sheriff's booking records.
Officers stopped the men in a car as they were about to get on the 10 Freeway from Azusa Avenue, Mitchell said.
"When the suspect vehicle was searched, officers located ski masks, latex gloves and two demand notes," Mitchell said. The suspects were additionally charged with suspicion of robbery.
West Covina police detectives Wednesday connected Matthews and Carrillo to an Aug. 10 robbery at a Chase bank branch in Upland, Mitchell said.
The suspects were turned over to the Upland Police Department, where they were being held.

ARCADIA -- Police jailed a man Thursday after a failed bank heist in Arcadia who may be responsible for another local bank robbery last month, police said.
Homan Zhang, 24, of Arcadia was booked on suspicion of robbery in connection with the attempted robbery, which was reported shortly after 11 a.m. at Citibank, 100 S. 1st Avenue, Arcadia police officials said.
He allegedly entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding money, Sgt. Dan Crowther said.
"The teller essentially walked away," he said.
Zhang then walked out of the bank empty-handed and was arrested nearby, the sergeant said.
A robber with the same description used similar tactics to successfully hold up a bank of America Branch, 180 N. Santa Anita Avenue, about 4:10 p.m. on Aug. 17, officials said, and it's believed that Zhang is responsible for that robbery as well.
After presenting a teller with a demand note and threatening to be armed with a gun, the crook fled the area with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to sheriff's booking records, Zhang was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Arcadia Police Department jail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

From City News Service:

MONTEREY PARK -- Asian business owners in Monterey Park have been targeted with threatening calls in which money is demanded in exchange for supposed hostages, but no one has been harmed, police reported Thursday.
As recently as Tuesday, police received reports from business owners regarding the threatening calls, said Sgt. Frank Duke of the Monterey Park Police Department.
"These reports were similar to ones... received in the past," Duke said. "In both the current and past incidents, Asian business persons were telephoned and money was demanded for the caller's brothers."
Duke said the suspects apparently selected their targets at random using a business phone directory.
"There are no reported incidents of any of the threats being carried out or business persons paying money to the suspects," the sergeant said.
Officials urged anyone with information to contact the Monterey Park Police Department.

AZUSA -- Police arrested a 15-year-old boy Wednesday on suspicion of stabbing a 14-year-old boy in Azusa, authorities said.
The incident was reported about 8:40 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 500 block of East Gladstone Street, Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said in a written statement.
"The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery," he said.
Investigators located the 15-year-old boy in the area and arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Bertelsen said.
No information regarding a motive was released.
"This is an ongoing investigation and there may be other people involved in this crime," he added. Anyone with information is asked to call the Azusa Police Department.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- A Whittier bail bondsman pleaded guilty Thursday to embezzling $30,000 from a client.
Arturo Miramontes, 40, failed to return $30,000 in cash collateral to a client after that client's court case was completed and his bail was exonerated, prosecutors said.
He was working at the time as a licensed bail bondsman for Rodeo Bail Bonds in Whittier.
Miramontes is facing up to three years in prison when he is to be sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Horwitz March 2.
As part of his plea, he also agreed to return the money to the client, according to the District Attorney's Office.

ARCADIA -- A San Gabriel convicted sex offender received a sentence of 30 years to life in prison Thursday for molesting a 5-year-old girl at a mall bookstore in Arcadia, officials said.
Jaime Elvis Elizondo, 35, was convicted of committing a lewd act on a child June 8 in Pasadena Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.
The conviction stemmed from a May, 2008 assault in the children's section of a Borders bookstore at Westfield Santa Anita, 400 S. Baldwin Ave., officials said.
In the assault, which was captured on video, Elizondo pressed his exposed genitals against the young victim, police said.
Elizondo, who was already a registered sex offender, was tracked with the help of a witness who confronted him in the bookstore, then found his picture listed on the Megan's Law Web site and turned the information over to police.

ROSEMEAD -- A court appearance was postponed Thursday in the case of a married couple allegedly stabbed to death in their Rosemead home by their 14-year-old granddaughter and her boyfriend, as sheriff's officials prepared to return the older suspect back to California from Texas.
Sophia Cristo, 14, and Rodolfo Lopez, 21, are charged with the Aug. 9 stabbing deaths of Jack Bezner, 71, and Bezner, 64, as they lied in their bed in their home in the 3200 block of Arica Avenue in Rosemead.
Cristo was scheduled for arraignment Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, however the court date was pushed back to Sept. 20, Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
Lopez remained jailed in Texas Thursday, according to officials and booking records.
He waived extradition proceedings Wednesday, which should allow sheriff's investigators to bring him back to Southern California within the next few weeks, Davila-Morales said.
Cristo and Lopez were found two days after the slayings with the Bezner's SUV in El Paso County, Texas, investigators said.

PASADENA -- Police asked the public's help Thursday in finding a hit-and-run driver who struck and critically injured an 83-year-old Pasadena man on an electric scooter.
Lucio Morales, also known as Martin Beltran, is suspected of driving the 1994 Mercedes-Benz S500 that struck Frank Paneno about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cordova Street and Chester Avenue, Pasadena police officials said. Morales and a passenger both pulled the injured man out from underneath the car before Morales fled, leaving the passenger at the scene.
Little information was known about Morales, who is believed to have moved to the United States about a year ago, Lt. Randell Taylor said. He worked at Zankou Chicken in Pasadena and may have been staying in Highland Park.
"We're working with every capable investigative source to figure out more about him," the lieutenant said.
Morales is described as Latino, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds, with wavy black hair.
Only a grainy photograph taken from an employment document was available, police said.
Paneno remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday morning with broken ribs, head trauma and other injuries, police said.
Paneno was riding his motorized scooter westbound in the bicycle lane on Cordova Street prior to the crash, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement. The Mercedes was making a left turn from eastbound Cordova Street onto Chester Avenue.
"Morales struck Paneno in the intersection, dragging him and his scooter several feet before stopping," according to the police statement.
"Morales, along with his passenger, exited their vehicle and pulled both the scooter and victim from underneath the vehicle," the statement added. "Morales got back into his vehicle and fled the scene leaving his passenger and the victim behind."
Investigators found the Mercedes, which belongs to Morales' niece, Wednesday morning in Highland Park, though Morales himself remained at large.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pasadena Police Department.

PHOTO of Lucio Morales courtesy of the Pasadena Police Department.

As you'll read below, Ontario police ultimately shot and killed a Tec-9-toting, bullet proof vest wearing suspect who allegely raised a weapon toward police. The text below was taken from Ontario Police Department press release:

On Wednesday, September 01, 2010 at approximately 9:21 A.M. hours, Ontario Police Officers responded to a call of a man with a gun occurring at a residence in the 1000 block of East Sixth Street, Ontario.
Upon arrival, Officers surrounded the multi-unit building where the armed man was believed to be holding his girlfriend at gunpoint. As officers were attempting to make verbal contact with the female victim, believed to be the suspect's girlfriend, the suspect was seen fleeing in a white Honda Accord from a rear attached garage.
At the same time, the police department armored assault vehicle was arriving to the scene and stopped the suspect from driving away. The suspect actually collided with the front end of the assault vehicle. The assault vehicle was used to push the suspect vehicle into an adjoining garage, pinning the suspect vehicle in the garage, thus preventing him from escaping.
As this occurred, the suspect pointed an assault pistol at the officers while he attempted to ram the assault vehicle. Fearing for their safety, two of the officers were forced to fire their weapons at the suspect striking him in the upper body.
The suspect refused to submit to arrest as officers attempted verbal negotiations with him. A short time later, the suspect was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody without further incident. He was transported, via ground ambulance, to an area hospital where he later died from his injuries.
The suspect was found to be in possession of a loaded Tec-9 assault pistol and was wearing a bullet proof vest.
The deceased suspect is identified as 37 year old Jason Marcellus Martin of Desert Hot Springs. Martin had been recently released from prison and was on parole for a prior domestic violence conviction. Martin is a gang member out of Riverside County who has a lengthy criminal history that includes resisting arrest, domestic violence, robbery, carjacking, hit and run, DUI and felony assault on a peace officer.
The two officers involved in the shooting will only be identified as a 15 year veteran assigned to the patrol division who holds the rank of Officer. The second is an 8 year veteran also assigned to the patrol division and holds the rank of Corporal.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective David Rowe at (909) 395-2749.

PHOTO of Jason Martin courtesy of the Ontario Police Department.

From wire reportsL

EL MONTE --  A memorial fund has been established to help the mother and family of a 14-month-old girl who was struck and killed by a car when her aunt was backing out of a driveway bury their child, it was announced Wednesday.
The girl was run over at 10:22 a.m. Sunday in the 12100 block of McGirk Avenue, Lt. Ken Alva of the El Monte Police Department said.
The incident was "an unfortunate chain of events that occurred at the same time and left the 14-month-old unsupervised for a few critical moments," Alva said.
The mother of the 14-month-old turned her attention from the girl after her 2-year-old boy ran to an inflatable swimming pool in the front yard, Alva said.
The victim's aunt is a 28-year-old unlicensed driver, but the accident was on private property, Alva said.
Donations can be made at Joanna Munoz Memorial Fund, El Monte Community Credit Union, 11718 Ramona Blvd., El Monte, 91732-2310.
More information is available by calling 626-444-0501.

From wire reports:

EL MONTE -- The District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday it has filed charges against two men arrested at Arroyo High School for suspicion of graffiti vandalism.
Fernando Aguila, 22, of Temple City, will face felony charges while Carlos Garcia, 21, of El Monte will face misdemeanor charges, said Detective William Acosta of the El Monte Police Department.
The two were arrested at 9:30 p.m. on Friday at Arroyo High School after two witnesses called police, said Acosta.
Acosta said that the damage was estimated at $3,000. They also were believed to be tagging on Lower Azusa Road.

From City News Service:

BEVERLY HILLS -- A man suspected of killing three men in a West Hollywood apartment for several thousand dollars of marijuana was charged Wednesday with three counts of capital murder.
Harold Yong Park, who could be eligible for the death penalty if convicted, made his first
court appearance this afternoon in Beverly Hills Superior Court, but did not enter a plea.
The 31-year-old defendant is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 14 on charges stemming from the shooting deaths of Pirooz Moussazadeh, 27, his 38- year-old brother Shahriar and Bernard Khalili, 27. Their bodies were found Thursday night in an apartment in the 600 block of North Kings Road, near Melrose Avenue.
The charges include special circumstance allegations of murder during a robbery and a
burglary, murder for financial gain and multiple murders.
Prosecutors will make a decision about seeking the death penalty later.
Park also is charged with three counts of robbery and one count each of burglary and transporting marijuana for sale.
Lt. Pat Nelson told a news conference in front of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau in
Monterey Park that Park's "original arrival at that location was for the purpose of purchasing several thousand dollars of marijuana. Unfortunately the deal didn't go as he had hoped, I'm sure, and three people lost their lives as a result of it."
Sheriff Lee Baca said the case proved the dangers of medical marijuana, claiming that the
medical marijuana business has become a magnet for crimes such as this.
"Is it no surprise that people are going to get killed behind this kind of easy profit. Drugs,
violence go together. High profits, violence go together," said Baca, named today as a
co-chair of the campaign opposing Proposition 19, the November ballot measure that would
legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
Sheriff's deputies used a license plate scanner to track down Park, who was arrested about 11 a.m. Monday in Lomita during a traffic stop. Deputies said they found several pounds of
marijuana in the vehicle.
Sheriff's Capt. Ronene Anda said the device "can scan thousands of license plates in just
moments. It's times like this which absolutely proves its worthiness."

As Labor Day weekend appraoches, law enforcement agencies throughout the area are preparing to hold sobriety checkpoints to screen for impaired drivers. Here's a few coming up in the next couple of days:

PASADENA -- Pasadena police are planning a sobriety checkpoint to kick off the coming Labor Day weekend.
The checkpoint will take place at an undisclosed time and place within Pasadena, Pasadena police said in a written statement.
"Beyond taking dangerous drivers off the road, a major component of these added efforts is to educate the driving public about the consequences of impaired driving," Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said.
Friday's checkpoint will be part of a nation-wide DUI crackdown between Independence Day and Labor Day, officials said.
Funding for this checkpoint is being provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GLENDORA -- Police are hoping to combat injuries and deaths related to impaired driving this Labor Day weekend with a sobriety checkpoint Friday in Glendora.
The checkpoint will be made of law enforcement officers from throughout the San Gabriel Valley, Glendora police said in a written statement.
"The Task Force is dedicated to educating drivers about the consequences of drinking and driving and identifying and removing intoxicated drivers from our roadways," according to the police statement.
The checkpoint is being paid for by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

LA PUENTE -- Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies will stop motorists Thursday in search of drunken drivers, valid driver's licenses and safety violations.
Deputies did not specify a time or location for the checkpoint.
A number of law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County will be holding checkpoints over the holiday weekend to curb drunken driving during the Labor Day weekend.

From City News Service:

SANTA ANA -- The attorney for a man accused in a drunken driving collision that killed three people, including Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, will not be able to tell jurors that the driver of the other vehicle had also consumed alcohol, an Orange County judge ruled Wednesday.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 23, of San Gabriel, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder in the April 9, 2009, collision in Fullerton that killed Adenhart, 22, Courtney Frances Stewart, 20, and Henry Pearson, 25.
Jon Wilhite, 24, of Manhattan Beach, survived, but his skull had to be reattached to his spine.
Attorneys today began the work of settling pretrial motions, with jury selection scheduled to start Thursday. Opening statements in the trial could begin Sept. 13.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey ruled that Gallo's attorney, Jacqueline Goodman, will not be able to tell the jury that Stewart had a blood-alcohol level of at least .06, above the legal limit for drivers under 21 years old.
Another test indicated her blood-alcohol level was .16, Goodman said.
"Even assuming .06 was accurate, it's relevant whether she might be the one who was negligent in blowing the red light," Goodman argued. "If my client was drunk and had a green light and if she caused the accident, there's no liability on behalf of my client."
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price disagreed.
Gallo was driving about 65 mph in a 35 mph zone on Orangethorpe Avenue in Fullerton and was drunk, so even if he didn't run the red light, he's still guilty of the negligence that led to the murders, she argued.
On Tuesday, Goodman lost her final attempt to delay the trial when the state Supreme Court denied her requests for a stay and to move the case out of Orange County.
Goodman has unsuccessfully argued that publicity about the case will jeopardize her client's ability to get a fair trial.
Toohey ruled Wednesday that video and still cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom during the trial.
Goodman and Price did not object, but attorney Michael Fell, who represents the families of the victims, asked Toohey to keep the cameras out of the proceedings.
"Only one family did not object to the media in the courtroom, but the majority of the families and extended families did not wish for the media in the courtroom," Fell said.
"Evidence that will be shown could be additionally devastating to what the families are going through," he said. "Out of respect for them, we asked that the cameras not be permitted in the courtroom."

Police arrested a suspected car thief Wednesday who abandoned a still-running car in Irwindale and tried to hide, authorities said.
Henry Stueck, 40, of Monrovia was booked on suspicion of auto theft, Arcadia police Sgt. Dean Caputo said.
The incident began shortly after noon when a Pasadena Police Department helicopter noticed a LoJack signal coming from an Toyota Camry allegedly stolen out of Glendale driving near Foothill Boulevard and Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia, Caputo said.
A police officer on the ground briefly spotted the Camry but then lost sight of it in traffic, the sergeant said.
The police helicopter followed the Camry to a parking lot in the 2300 block of Bateman Avenue where Stueck allegedly abandoned the Camry and ran into a large commercial building nearby, officials said.
Workers inside the building, "Saw the guy hiding in the business and they told him to leave," Caputo said.
Police were setting up a search perimeter and preparing to check the footage of nearby security cameras to see where the alleged car thief had gone when they spotted him hiding in some bushes near the building, Caputo said. Officers arrested him without further incident.
According to sheriff's booking records, Stueck was being held without bail and was due for arraignment Friday in Pasadena Superior Court.

ABOVE: Henry Stueck, 40, of Monrovia sits in the back of an Arcadia police car after being arrested on suspicion of auto theft in Irwindale on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to review the case against two young men convicted for their roles in the April 2006 shooting deaths of two teenagers in Hacienda Heights over a drug dispute.
The state's highest court denied petitions seeking review of the case against Salvador Villanueva and Angelo Jacob Vasquez.
On May 6, a three-justice panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that there were errors in the pair's trial in Pomona Superior Court.
In the 15-page ruling, the justices noted that Villanueva and Vasquez were convicted as "aiders and abettors" in the April 3, 2006, slayings of Christopher Trevizo, 15, and Demetries Flores, 17, and the attempted murder of Flores' brother.
Co-defendant Christopher Jay Murray pleaded no contest to the murders and the attempted murder, but claimed to be insane at the time the crimes were committed. Jurors found him sane.
Trevizo and Flores were killed while in a flood control channel near Los Altos Drive in a crime motivated by the theft of marijuana that had been taken at gunpoint from Murray a few months earlier.
"Murray, Vasquez and Villanueva were all carrying guns as they spotted the Trevizo trio and then followed them into the wash area," the justices noted in their ruling.
Murray shot and killed Trevizo and Flores and shot at but missed Flores' brother, while Villanueva and Vasquez pointed guns at the Flores brothers but fired no shots, according to the appellate court panel's ruling.
After the shooting, the three defendants showered and then disposed of their guns and clothes, according to the ruling.